The spasms caused his limbs to vibrate continually. Despite his pain, Baba said, "Even had my leg broken, it would not have mattered.
It is the inner shocks that are killing me and taking my breath away. Considering my physical state after the fast, my body cannot bear these shocks!"
He added, "I knew this would happen!
It is an aspect of my inner work which, instead of being spent in the desired direction, has rebounded and come back on me with such terrible force."
After an hour, the effect of the internal shocks lessened. Different remedies had been tried to ease the pain in his toe. To prove that he was not suffering from the effect of the injury, Baba stood up and began walking about the compound without limping.
Just then a bone-setter arrived, but Baba refused to see him. The doctor was paid the 35 rupee fee, but was puzzled, since he had not seen the patient. Rustom and Nervous had been frantic when they brought him to the Manzil, telling the doctor it was an emergency and to come immediately — now he was told that everything was all right. Rustom stammered that the patient felt much better and did not need any treatment.
The doctor responded, "Since I am already here and have been paid, it is better that I examine the injured person. The pain of the injury might lessen for a while, but then again it may flair up, worse than before. And you, yourself, claimed that my presence here was essential and most urgent."
With difficulty, the embarrassed Rustom persuaded the doctor to leave. Baba's foot was soaked in hot water, medicinal turmeric paste was applied, and the toe was bandaged. The tension in the Manzil soon subsided, as if nothing serious had happened. Baba then asked the mandali, "Can any one of you guess what the meaning of this mishap is?" Everyone expressed his own view, but no one's inference was correct.
Afterwards Baba revealed, "You will recall what I have been frequently telling you about Asar being very unlucky and that he will either go mad or die some horrible death." The men remembered, and Baba explained, "This injury and internal shock to me was due to Asar.
I tried intervening on his behalf, but the result is a failure. He is quite unfortunate compared with all of you. Within a week, you will hear something about his tragedy."1
Footnotes
- 1.Aspandiar (Pendu) recalled about Baba's suffering in this incident that Baba had later explained, "I was trying to work so that Judas should no longer play the part of Judas [in this advent] — but I failed to achieve that object."